Court orders ex Odisha chief secy to revert usurped forest land

The commissioner of Land Records and Settlement today ordered for reverting 70 acres of forest land allegedly grabbed by former Odisha chief secretary Rabi Narayan Das in Salijanga mouza in Dangadi tehsil in Jajpur district to government records.

Commissioner of Land Records and Settlement Ashok Kumar Tarenia today ordered for reverting the land to the ‘anabadi khata’ of the government records.

According to the complaint former chief secretary Rabi Narayan Das had usurped and recorded 70 acres of land in Salijanga mouza under Danagadi tehsil in Jajpur in his name.

Jajpur district collector had moved the commissioner of Land Records and Settlement to maintain the kissam/type of this land as ‘anabadi salua jungle’ as before.

The said land was a part of Sukinda Estate and its kissam/type continued to remain as ‘anabadi salua jungle’ since 1927-28 and even after the merger of Sukinda Estate with the territory of Odisha in 1952-53, the kissam of the land has remained unchanged.

The Jajpur district collector and Dangadi tehsildar had complained that mutation of the said land was illegally made in favour of Rabi Narayan Das.

The complainant had told the commissioner of Land Records and Settlement that Das and managed to usurp the said 70 acres of land through ‘hata patta’ (hand written Record of Rights).

Earlier, notices have been served to persons who have purchased part or parts of the said land from Das or his family members.

However, despite several attempts Das could not be contacted for his comments on the issue.

It was alleged that during hal (current) settlement, the said land was recorded in the names of Bidu Bhusan Das, Chandi Charan Das, Rabi Narayan Das and others sons of late Durga Charan Das using hata patta. Later allegedly the land has been sold to different persons.

It is worthwhile to mention here that patta or record of rights (RoR) is a legal document issued by the government to the actual owner of a particular plot of land.